On how much the French love their mothers

I'm tired, have sciatica, move like a beached whale, and feel like my entrails are being flattened. But it's ok because I live in France...

For anyone who has watched Micheal Moore's Sicko, you have a faint (surely biased) idea of the majesty that is the French health care system. What you don't know is that it's even better for expecting and young mothers (and fathers too to a certain extent).

I am 29 weeks pregnant, have had no out of pocket expenses since my 5th month (except the €2,50 I had to pay the lab when I did my glucose test because as Dr. R explains, "if they began reimbursing the glucose they use for the diabetes test, people would start getting perscriptions for their baking goods." Only in France I tell you...) and start my maternity leave today...why? Because my doctor thinks I'm too tired. Yes, I am tired so I get to stop 1 month earlier than my official leave so I can sleep, relax, read, go to the swimming pool and generally take advantage of the last 2 1/2 months of my pregnancy...

For all the bitching and moaning I can do about dog crap, inability of the French to stand in line, rudeness, the benefits I'll have for the next 3 years make up for most of it...

Officially, maternity leave lasts 16 weeks minimum with full pay (upped to 26 weeks for a 3rd child). But most doctors will tack on 2 extra weeks before and an extra month after for breast feeding. For my husband, he gets 3 days off paid leave when the baby's born plus 10 days paid leave sometime in the first 3 months. In addition, parents can opt for complete or partial parental leave and know that not only can their employer not refuse it, but they must hold your job for you at the same salary until your return.

And that's not enough you say? The government also provides a little stipend in the 8th month to help you get some baby supplies and then will help pay for your child care provider until the child's 3rd birthday.

When my mom last visited, I showed her my most recent reimbursement claim from Social Security and she was flabbergasted. The cost of my 6 month ultrasound was about €34 with no out of pocket expense for me. My monthly prenatal visit was €24 and I paid nothing. And when we went to the pharmacy to get my iron supplements and she was amazed to see that there was no copay...EVER!

So I may step in a little more dog crap at the moment because I can't see my feet, but who cares when all I have to do for the next 2 months is take care of myself and clean the occasional dog crap off my shoe?